Every year the farmers' market springs up from the snow and mud and
breaths life into the community with young plants, flowers and a
promise for another year of agricultural prosperity.
My personal heartfelt gratitude goes out to all the
family farmers, who rise early and bed late, taking significant
financial risks to provide quality food to their communities. I
salute them, every day, for their commitment to the land and all its
creatures, big and small.
Shopping
at your local farmers' market is a positive step in taking charge of
your food choices. It will have an impact on your personal
health and the economical health of your community as well as that
of the local farmer you support. So get up and get out to your
local farmers' market. You'll be glad you did.
Farmers' Markets play a huge role in supporting communities and the
local economy.
Find your Local Farmers' Market and
BUY LOCAL
Our very own
Foodie Fanatic will be out every week, prowling the back booths
of our local Kootenai County Farmers' Market, showing you the best
of the best and sharing the inspired recipes that come from this
time well spent.
Farmers' Markets play a huge role in supporting communities and the
local economy.
The Farmers' Market
in My Town.
This week we see the value of our farmers who go the extra mile to
provide us with fresh produce early in the season in our interview
with Jerry of Deerfield Farms in Sandpoint, Idaho. It takes
the controlled environment of a greenhouse to get organic tomatoes
this early.
The girls at Pasta Fresca share a family tradition with us in their
father's recipes for pasta.
Our very own
Foodie Fanatic was out again this week, prowling the back booths
of our local Kootenai County Farmer's Market, sharing with you the
best of the best.
For past editions of "Foodie Fanatic with the
Farmers" you can go to the Foodie Fanatic
YouTube channel or her
blog.
WEN WONDERS... about the Farmers' Market
This is a delightful video about Farmers' Markets. The actual
market in this video is located in Massachusetts. The picture quality is not
the greatest, but the content is valuable and insightful. It's
well worth the 30 minutes of your time, so grab a cup of tea and
prepare to be entertained and learn where your food comes from.
Then get to your calendar and mark your Saturdays and Wednesdays for
shopping at your local Farmers' Market. If you live in
Kootenai County, Idaho and you have never been to your local
Farmers' Market then you're missing out on great fresh produce, good
entertainment, and the very best place to meet up with friends.
Note: Please be patient while the movie loads.
Pollinators at Risk...bees,
butterflies and other pollinators are declining worldwide Disturbing evidence shows bees,
butterflies and other pollinators are declining worldwide - a
serious threat to flowering plants and most food crops. A number of
agricultural crops are almost totally dependent on honey bee
pollination (90-100%), including almonds, apples, avocados,
blueberries, cranberries, cherries, kiwi fruit, macadamia nuts,
asparagus, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers,
onions, legume seeds, pumpkins, squash, and sunflowers. Other
specialty crops also rely on honey bee pollination, but to a lesser
degree. These crops include apricot, citrus (oranges, lemons, limes,
grapefruit, tangerines, etc.), peaches, pears, nectarines, plums,
grapes, brambleberries, strawberries, olives, melon (cantaloupe,
watermelon, and honeydew), peanuts, cotton, soybeans, and sugar
beets.Edited
Excerpt: Earth Day Report by Captain Paul Watson
This is something
that effects us all. We all need to do our part to help solve
the problem. Educate yourself!
Beekeeping in the urban environment aides the
biodiversity and pollination for plants found in the urban garden
and community and public gardens. Add to that the help that is
needed to offset the devastating effects of the nationwide honey bee
colony collapse which is causing a catastrophic disappearance of
honey bees, you could say we need urban honey beekeepers.
About one third of the American diet comes from crops that are
pollinated by honey bees. Our food chain faces serious harm and must
be protected.
Honey bees are docile by nature and can be kept safely in urban
areas. Beekeepers should complete a beekeeping course of study to
insure hive management techniques that will maintain a gentle colony
of bees.
This video is an 8th grade project on pesticides,
and talks about growing your own food organically. While this video
is classified as a comedy, it addresses a very real issue and
includes an authentic news clip about studies being done at U C
Davis on organically grown produce.
Shopping at your local farmers' market is a
positive step in taking charge of your food choices. It will have
an impact on your personal health and the economical health of your
community as well as that of the local farmer you support. So get
up and get out to your local farmers' market. You'll be glad you
did.
Click here
for a list of fruits and vegetables and their pesticide loads.
Living in holy balance with the Earth... The
industrial revolution has succeeded in separating us, from each
other and from the Earth. This video is an experiment in backyard
sustainability. Learning how to feed ourselves and save ourselves in
our own backyard.
Every year the farmers' market springs up from the snow and mud and
breaths life into the community with young plants, flowers and a
promise for another year of agricultural prosperity.
My personal heartfelt gratitude to and for all the
family farmers, who rise early and bed late, taking significant
financial risks to provide quality food to their communities. I
salute them, every day, for their commitment to the land and all its
creatures, big and small.
Shopping at your local farmers'
market is a positive step in taking charge of your food choices. It
will have an impact on your personal health and the economical
health of your community as well as that of the local farmer you
support. So get up and get out to your local farmers' market.
You'll be glad you did.
March 11, 2007
Peak Moment 51: Tour Scott McGuire's "White Sage Gardens" in the
back yard of his rental home -- a demonstration site for suburban
sustainability. He ponders, "How might a household produce and
preserve a significant portion of its own food supply?" Composting,
a water-conserving greenhouse, and seed-saving are all facets of
this beautiful work in progress. [www.whitesagegardens.com]
Corner of Prairie Ave & Hwy 95 in Hayden, Idaho
Contact Info:
March - October: (208)772-2290
Email: